Juwel 180l tank stocking suggestions

[Armycarlos]

Thank you

 

[Jeremy180]

Yes, exactly. Also, clamped fins can be a sign of stress, which could indicate disease, and any neons that are obviously
Separated from the main school could be sick, too.

 

[Byron]

Re the water parameters, I suggest you pin down the hardness more than just "soft;" sometimes these terms can be very different than what some of us might assume is meant. Your water authority may have a website, and dat posted; you want the GH 9general or total hardness), the number and the unit of measurement they use (there are several). If not there, try calling them, but make sure you get the number and the measurement unit they use.

Great stuff, so maby 4/5 panda Cory's would be ok? As I think they are better in small groups , is that OK for 180 juwel tank?

You want more than this. You have the space, so at least 9-10, or 12. Panda cories do like their own company, but you still have space for another species or two, with fewer pandas (maybe 7?) and then 5-7 of another species? Up to you, but the point is, as another member mentioned, these fish live in groups of hundreds and they will always be in better health the more there are.

After another few weeks I would like
1 male dwarf gourami centerpiece (2 female if possible)

Again as another member said, this is not a safe species. The Honey Gourami is safer, and much the same in size and still lovely colouring; a trio (one male, two female) would be nice. Or some other non-gourami species...but I really would avoid the Dwarf especially if you get them from stores. From a breeder direct can be safer, but otherwise, best to forget this species.

 

[Armycarlos]

thanks so much for the helpful replies. Ya I will test the water as soon as possible for water hardness and confirm the pH with the ApI kit. So eventually if the water is cycled properly and the water hardness test is OK,i was think of stocking the tank like this if it is OK.

1. 6-8 cardinal tetras as I really like these
2. 5/6 panda corys
3. 3 honey gouramis 1xmale 2xfemale. After a month or so of the above being ok

Would you recommend another small fish shoal/group if so what breed? Or perhaps it would be overstocked.Also would you recommend any particular plants for the a/m tank? Thanks again for all the help

 

[fluttermoth]

That's honestly quite understocked; 180l is a good sized tank, and none of those fish are large or messy.

I'd go with a dozen of each of the corys and tetras. I, and many other people, prefer one larger group than two smaller ones of different species. As fish tend not to shoal tightly in the safe environment of our tanks, too many species can look a bit 'messy' and, as Byron mentioned earlier, these fish live in shoals of thousands in the wild, so they'll always be 'happier' and behave more naturally the more of the same species there are

 

[Armycarlos]

Great stuff, well the jewul Rio 180 is ordered with the cabinet and on its way. I will do that so more cardinals if possible to start with and Cory's and see how they go but only eventually after the pH level and plants are sorted.

I was thinking of getting black sand substrate. Any suggestions on plants for this tank and how these should be managed? I see after planting it takes up to 14 weeks for everything to settle properly

 

[Colin_T]

You could add 10 more cardinal tetras or neon tetras if you want variation. Neons and cardinals will normally school together.

You could add 8-10 black phantom tetras as well. Males have black pelvic fins and females have red. Get even numbers of males and females.

Maybe another 6 Corydoras.

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Whatever substrate you get, make sure it is smooth and not sharp. Sharp gravel/ sand can damage the Cories.

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Good plants to try include: Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma & ruba, Ludwigia, common Amazon Sword plant, narrow Vallis, Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta). The Water Sprite is a floating plant but also grows well when planted in the gravel. the other plants should be planted in the substrate.

I'm not sure where you got 14 weeks but filters normally take about 4-5 weeks and plants will settle into a tank in a couple of weeks. You can add fish any time after the filter has cycled, or add some of them in a couple of days if you have lots of plants and are doing a fish in cycle.

 

[seangee]

I agree with what others have said. At least double up on the cardinals and corys. IMO keep cardinals or neons as they are so similar in colour there is no point in having both. If you take the cardinals up to 30 plus you'll find you don't need a "centrepiece". If you prefer variety go for 15- 20 each of cardinals and glowlight tetra (of course that's just a personal opinion cos its what I have done ).

 

[Armycarlos]

Good stuff thanks for the plant advice will check them out. The glowlight tetras look very nice also btw.

 

[Armycarlos]

Hey this is my new aquarium 180 liter Juwel tank. I have started setting it up. Just wondering is there anyway to speed up the cycling process? Sorry if this post is in the wrong place, I am trying to do a fishless cycle to get set up properly.

I have added tetra filter active bacteria into the filter one day ago, to start the process (at least i think this starts the process) and have water testers (Unfortunately, I could not get the API one just yet but have used another brand) water pH is 6.8. As. you can see I have put in plants. I will go to the local shop to test the water in ten days. Is there anything I should be doing in the meantime?

 

[Byron]

A comprehensive liquid plant fertilizer would be a good idea to get the plants growing well. I use and highly recommend Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium. That is the full title, they make several different additives under the Flourish name so make sure it is only this one. It is complete. Another is Brightwell Aquatics' FlorinMulti. These are both complete and concentrated so you use very little; a small bottle of either will last months.

Once the plants are showing growth, you can begin adding some fish, just go slow. Plants help the cycling.

 

[TallPaul]

Plants most definitely help. I have a 35 litre cube that is home to a betta and it is well planted with java fern, Java moss, anubias nana, cryptocoryne parva, alernanthera and water spangles on the surface.

These plants literally soak up all of the ammonia and nitrates that you don't want in the tank and the fish will be much happier for them.

Certainly with your tank I would consider some surface plants. Fish will feel safer around them when they swim to the top of the tank.

 

[seangee]

Certainly with your tank I would consider some surface plants. Fish will feel safer around them when they swim to the top of the tank.

I agree with this. If you are still thinking about tetra and corys these are often referred to as blackwater fish. Black water does not mean dirty but rather stained by tannin because they occur naturally in heavily wooded areas. As a result they do not appreciate bright or strong lighting.

So the surface plants play a dual role. Not only do they absorb ammonia but they also filter the light which creates a more natural environment for these fish. Good plants to consider are:

1. Water sprite: These can also be planted in the substrate but do very well just left floating on the surface
2. Amazon frogbit: These don't work for everyone, they do not tolerate getting there leaves wet (which includes from humidity). I keep these in one of my tanks by keeping the feeding cover open and a slight gap at the back. My other tank is full of escape artists so I cannot do this - and the frogbit does badly
3. Duckweed: Can be time consuming to get rid of if you change your mind.

All of the plants mentioned are rapid growing so you only need a minimal quanity to start off with and within a few months you will be thinning them out regularly. Easy to do - just scoop the excess off the top and throw it out

 

[TallPaul]

I have a blackwater tank. Not by choice, I had no idea that my bog wood would turn the water yellow. Anyhow it turns out this is quite preferable for a lot of tropical fish and once you get into it you might want to make an amazonian biotope or something that mimics the natural environment